Biggest issue

measuring competency of either an offense or defense by yards is a seriously flawed premise to begin with

Look at points on the board. Now where is Dallas ranked?

That is a much more realistic way of looking at things

Eh, idk.. i mean there's no doubt in my mind that this team can move the ball down the field when we arn't shooting ourselves in the foot. Just seems to be far too many times where we kill our own drives with dumb penalties, turnovers, sloppy mistakes, etc..

Things that we blamed Wade's coaching for.. even though JG was running the offense then, too. I really do feel that we have the talent, just not the coaching or accountability to succeed.

I totally agree with the OP, yes we've had penalties, turnovers and mistakes but a semi competent coach would've won both the Ravens and Giants games. All of a sudden we are sitting here at 5-3 in first place with a sweep of the Giants.

Coaching matters, I can't for the life of me understand why the Dallas Cowboys can have such a bad coach. Garrett is awful, it seems as if every important decision he makes is the exact opposite of what logic would say you should do. Like last week not challenging the spot on the Beasley catch and then calling a 3rd and 1 run on a jumbo package, a play that has not worked all season.

I understand the people who say continuity is good and that firing coaches every two years is not a good strategy, I agree, but it isn't a good strategy because Jerry hires guys like Campo, Gailey, Wade and Garrett.

This offseason there will be coaches like Cowher, Chucky, Holmgren, probably Reid and Payton, each and every one of those coaches is worth at least 2 more wins over what we have now.

I really don't get how Jerry can underestimate the importance of the coaching position. Just hire a good coach for ***** sake.

Couldn't agree with you more, this year's team and last year's for that matter would be going to the playoffs year in and year out with some of the coaches you mentioned.

Eh, idk.. i mean there's no doubt in my mind that this team can move the ball down the field when we arn't shooting ourselves in the foot. Just seems to be far too many times where we kill our own drives with dumb penalties, turnovers, sloppy mistakes, etc..

Things that we blamed Wade's coaching for.. even though JG was running the offense then, too. I really do feel that we have the talent, just not the coaching or accountability to succeed.

I agree. The offense can move the ball when they get out of their own way.

Provided they even do that, there's still another problem.

Redzone offense in terms of % of TDs for all the trips to the redzone.

They're tied with Arizona for 26th this year.

2011: 20th

2010: 9th (Somehow)

2009: 18th

2008: 8th

2007: 15th

Dallas has struggled in the Redzone.

Turning the ball over fewer times will help but if they can't get better at scoring in the Redzone it's still gonna be tough.

So the coach is supposed to run routes, throw the ball, and catch it? Execution is clearly the issue these guys are vets not rookies...

cant the coach design a system that plays to the players strengths? like denver has done with D Thomas? How is that working out? Like the viklings did for Randy Moss? Like NE has done for Wrs like all their average WRs aside from Welker. And welker himself wasnt anything special before NE.

The main point im trying to make about Jerry is the guy embarrasses himself enough with stupid antics and interviews. Has in the past embarrassed himself with football decisions. But not now. This is a good young deep team. Look at the injuries theyve had and none have really crippled the team. When Lee went down everybody swore the defense was crumble. Theyre playing very good.

At this moment in time Jerry has given Garrett everything he's needed to produce a winner. The OL was a mess because of injuries and its better. Still has a big missing piece but its better. The OL could be better but you cant fix everything in a offseason. Some of you need to put away ur madden games and realise the salary cap is real.

Jerry is a GM. He's not the best Gm in the NFL but nowhere is he the worst.

The main point im trying to make about Jerry is the guy embarrasses himself enough with stupid antics and interviews. Has in the past embarrassed himself with football decisions. But not now. This is a good young deep team. Look at the injuries theyve had and none have really crippled the team. When Lee went down everybody swore the defense was crumble. Theyre playing very good.

At this moment in time Jerry has given Garrett everything he's needed to produce a winner. The OL was a mess because of injuries and its better. Still has a big missing piece but its better. The OL could be better but you cant fix everything in a offseason. Some of you need to put away ur madden games and realise the salary cap is real.

Jerry is a GM. He's not the best Gm in the NFL but nowhere is he the worst.

Two thoughts.

1. How do you get into a position to need to "fix everything" in the first place?

2. Dallas could have brought in capable OL. They had cap space, they just opted to put it elsewhere. 9M to Spencer would have gone a long way on the OL.

The answer to #1 is simple. You get in that position by:

A) Crappy drafting. Multiple bad drafts, not just one.

Two 1st round picks in 2008 and it's possible neither are in Dallas next year and neither has been a guy that anyone would likely advocate spending a 1st rounder on at this point in time. Martellus Bennett should have never been drafted in the first place. An absolutely horrid sequence of events in trading away Fasano for a guy who was big and could jump really high.

2009 was an absolute disaster from top to bottom except for a couple of serviceable backups.

B) Over-evaluating players both on your own team and on others. The Roy Williams trade absolutely screwed Dallas. The return on that was so horrid it's not even funny. The missed Martellus Bennett was another mistake stacked right on top of drafting him to begin with.

C) Paying guys money they shouldn't get. Guaranteeing Hamlin 15M and then cutting him 2 years later. Dallas still has cap space dedicated to Marion Barber and Leonard Davis and they haven't played for the team for 2 years. Throw on Newman's dead space and that's over 11M according to Spotrac. Not to be outdone though, 9M to Spencer this last offseason for 1 single year and then.............who knows.

You can say that it's not possible to fix everything in one offseason but the fact that there was an entire OL and an entire secondary to fix is a reflection of management. Also, the fact that Dallas is still going to be fixing the OL again next offseason is another reflection of management and the possibility that they will have another hole at OLB next year because they handled the Spencer situation so awfully is yet another reflection. They tied up money on Spencer and went cheap on the OL. Now they have to still address the OL and they will have to address OLB.